OBAMA, OBAMA, OBAMA!!!

How many VIBE covers has this man been on? Well, peep him on the November cover, featuring a whole page letter to the American Urban masses.

There Will Be No shots spared: The Battle of the Music Channels Edition

Seems like everyone is coming out fighting...who wins THIS round?


I can fuck with the Channel O one this time around...

There Will Be No Shots Spared...Magazine Cover Wars: Cassie vs Ciara

Dramatic title, I know but damn! Cassie's Complex Magazine is from August and Ciara's cover is Vibe's October pick. These chicks are both making comebacks around the same time so I guess management decided to up the ante and sell em to any magazine that'll take em.





Peep Cassie's cover lookin like she's about to spank the shit out of a dude lol

Click here to read about how she's gotten stronger from all the hate and her 'I'm not fucking for tracks' statement














Is Ciara struggling to stay relevant... showing us her goodies and shit.wtf? Picture two is quiet ashy...



And here goes Ciara's article pic. I don't really dig it hey...but each to their own.

YOU DECIDE:
WHO KILLED THE MAGAZINE COVER BATTLE?

My Artist Find!

I really love music. Like, I LOVE music. Everything I do has a soundtrack or a song. Corny, I know, but I don't mean to do it- it just happens. Some of my favourite moments in life are when I listen to an artist that I can totally relate to, an artist that takes me back to a place that my memory alone can't take me to. I'm reeling right now because I've just been transported back to a point in my life where nothing really mattered- except contemplating the complexities of life, and not necessarily living them. But I'm older now, and the real world is oh so real. I now engage with music on a very real level: I question why Snoop leads two black women on a leash into the MTV Awards (and then consciously listen to his music selectively). Ja ne... Boys need better role models. So do girls. Lil Kim is a self confessed ho and her face is falling apart. Foxy Brown stays beating people up and the lesser known Trina's music straight up puts her out there as a whore. Then again, maybe she isn't a whore, seeing that Rick Ross isn't really gangsta. Still, we need good role models.

So here I am stalking the e-streets and I find AMANDA DIVA. Think Lauryn Hill circa '96 when she killed the Fugees' album The Score- before she flipped, cross that with the fierceness and feeling of Mary J, Gil Scott-Heron's poetry without the heroin- actually, scratch that- Ima give her Saul Williams smooth poetry. Oh shit, this woman's got me. According to Amanda's myspace, she's about to save female mceeing from itself. I know we all listen to all the Lil Kim's; the Trina's and the rest of their ilk but for real, we don't take them seriously, and I doubt the industry does either. If the case is that women won't be taken seriously unless their half nekked (lies, because no one takes Kim, Trina and Foxy seriously) then it's time for someone to step up and rep for a women on a smarter level. I hope Amanda proves that you don't have to be a Hip Hop bimbo to be heard. She's with The Aphilliates and everyone knows if you roll with DJ Drama's movement, everyone is bound to PAY CLOSE FUCKIN ATTENTION. For real though. Listen to this chick. I'm digging her.

Amanda Diva Official Site
Amanda Diva on Myspace

?uess who got their own Kicks!??

The man is excited that Nike finally decided to give him a pair of kicks and shit, frankly, i don't blame him. I would be crazy excited too, because I think every self respecting queen and princess across the world deserves a shoe modelled after my dynamic and complicated personality. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, ?uesto's very own kicks- they're called the Air ?uesto 1. Complete with an image of ?uesto with an afro pick and everything!


Pics via the ?uestosphere

Jet Magazine Cover

Funny, I named Keri Hilson my Hottie of the Month: June and who do I see on the front cover of Jet Magazine today? Yup, Keri herself. And then right next to her, my favourite new girl on the block, Teyana Taylor. Google her. Oh, and did I mention she's wearing the Creative Rec's i copped via TILTT.

Next time, don't say I didn't tell you.

Hottie of the Month: July

I should've actually changed this month's hottie to hotties but I have a thing for uniformity. This month I have not one, but TWO hotties! So here goes...

LL COOL J

Contrary to popular belief, Ladies STILL Love Cool James! The man is now 40 (in my years, that's like 90 years old!), he's toned down a little on the 90's lip licking thing. And Hey Lover just touched all the right spots for a 10 year old...lol

Honestly, any female that tells me that they never had a crush on LL are lying. Or in denial. Plain and simple. He's been killin it in the game for 23 years. Damn, I'm 23! Anywho, he's comin out with a new album and I just had to share this cover he did... Sure, I wouldn't want a man so big (or maybe I would? who knows?), but you gotta acknowledge this man is knocking at death's door (in my years) but he's still looking like he's 17! All his albums have been released via Def Jam- including his final one (due out this year), so I have to add that I love a loyal man! Peep the picture beeeelowwwww, and hit me back with the verdict.

BARACK OBAMA

Well, what can I say? The man's swag quadruples every two months! He brushes his shoulders off and of course, publicly gave his wife Michelle The Pound! I don't need to remind you that the man is half Kenyan (yes, Africa shall claim him), and he's running for PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! Not only is he a black man in America, he's a black African man in America and his middle name is HUSSEIN! Do you get my drift? Whether or not he wins the elections, I find him so inspirational! A black man that seems so family oriented- *loves it!* And then... have you seen the number of magazine front pages he has? And he's just been featured in the Ebony "25 coolest Black men" edition! You gotta love it.

Thoughts....?

Images via Gawker, Mark Pasetsky, and Def Jam

Hottie of the Month: June

Seems like every entertainment blog is buzzing about last night's B.E.T awards. Blah. So I'm gonna write about something different, just because I can!
My Hottie of the Month is normally a guy, for obvious reasons but I am soooo all over Keri Hilson right now...What am I saying??? Since when do I have to explain myself to anyone? Anywho...ima keep it moving.

IT'S ALL ABOUT KERI.

She's a pretty face who's got it MADE.25 Years old, and over 20 song writing credits to her name. And not songs for nobodies either. She's penned multiple hits for Usher (Love In This Club Pt II); Timbaland (Scream); Pussycat Dolls (Wait A Minute); Omarion (Icebox); Ludacris (Runaway Love), Britney Spears (Break The Ice, Gimme More)- I could go on! In addition, she's lent her voice for backup vocals for Britney; Pussycat Dolls; Ludacris and others. Judging by the number of bangers to her credit, her talent is no doubt phenominal. And she's super fly. Keri is my hottie for the month. I dare you to challenge me.

Writing credits

• 3LW - "Feelin' You"
• 3LW - "Things You Never Hear a Girl Say"
• ATL - "The One"
• Avant - "4 Minutes"
• B5 - "Heartbreak"
• Britney Spears - "Gimme More"
• Britney Spears - "Break the Ice"
• Britney Spears - "Outta This World"
• Britney Spears - "Perfect Lover"
• Chingy - "Let Me Luv U"
• Chris Brown - "Young Love"
• Ciara - "Ooh Baby"
• Crystal Kay - "I'm Not Alone"
• Danity Kane - "Want It"
• Danity Kane - "Right Now"
• Diddy - "After Love"
• Esko Martinez - "Heartbreak"
• Esko Martinez - "I'mma Do Me"
• Field Mob - "At the Park"
• Jennifer Lopez - "Wrong When Your Gone"
• Keke Palmer - "The Game Song"
• LeToya Luckett - "What Love Can Do"
• Lloyd Banks - "Help"
• Ludacris - "Pimpin All Over the World"
• Ludacris - "Runaway Love"
• Mary J. Blige - "Take Me as I Am"
• Mopheadz - Rub Me Up Rite
• Omarion - "Ice Box"
• Paula Campbell - "Hitlist"
• Pussycat Dolls - "Bite the Dust"
• Pussycat Dolls - "Wait a Minute"
• Rich Boy - "Good Things"
• Rich Boy - "Lost Girls"
• Ruben Studdard - "Play Our Song"
• Shawn Desman - "Red Hair"
• Tank - "I Love You"
• Tiffany Evans - "About a Boy"
• Timbaland - "The Way I Are"
• Timbaland - "Miscommunication"
• Timbaland - "Scream"
• Timbaland - "Hello"
• Toni Braxton - "Sposed to Be"
• Usher - "Red Light"
• Usher - "Love in This Club, Part II" (featuring Beyoncé and Lil Wayne)
• Young Twist - "Love for the Game"

Kanye's 'Flashing Lights' Third Version video

In The Meantime....‘Abusive’ singer is nabbed

Kwaito musician Mgarimbe, real name Nkosinathi Mfeka, is behind bars after being arrested for child abuse by the police at Honeydew, north of Johannesburg.

Mfeka was arrested on Sunday after Sowetan alerted the police about the alleged ill-treatment of his four-year-old daughter. He will appear in the Roodepoort magistrate’s court today on a charge of physical abuse.

“Just a mere look at the child tells a story. You can tell that the child was physically abused,” West Rand police spokesman Captain S’phiwe Ndlovu said yesterday.

Police have warned that, pending investigations, more charges could be levelled against the singer, who became famous for his Sister Bethina tune.

Neighbours have accused Mfeka and his girlfriend Thedi Dlodlo of beating and starving the little girl.

Neighbours said the child had become withdrawn because she was always left alone at the couple’s northern suburb home.

A neighbour said the girl had bruises and weals on her face, neck and legs showing that she was regularly beaten up.

But the artist, whose songs mostly contain crude lyrics, denied the allegations.

When Sowetan went to investigate the allegations, Mfeka said he only had two children. He denied the existence of the little girl. He showed reporters his two younger children.

“I don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t have three children. I have two and my oldest is a boy,” Mfeka said on Friday, before police found the girl, dirty and hidden in the house.

Yesterday his girlfriend continued to deny that they had abused the child but could not say why they were hiding the child from Sowetan and the police.

“Mgarimbe probably forgot about the child because he was only used to the other two children. That child only came here recently, so I will assume that he forgot about her,” she added.

Dlodlo said she did not know who the child’s mother was or where she was.

Asked why the girl had bruises, she said: “She is sickly.”

Their neighbour said he was glad that he did his part.

“I am glad they removed the child from them. All I wanted was to help that poor child,” he said.

Ndlovu said the case was still being investigated. He added that the child had been taken to a place of safety in Krugersdorp.

Hottie of the Month: April

I thought about it long and hard and I've come to the conclusion that I have to entertain the part of me that wants to put a teenage boy (with P.T shorts and ashy knees) on my lap for a spanking. Hence this month's hottie, Evan Ross. I'm not gonna start to convince anyone as to why he's a hottie. Just look at him. I just wanna lock him up in the basement, Austrian style! Ok, bad joke. His filmography follows:

• 2006: ATL as Antwon 'Ant' Swann
• 2007: Pride (2007 film) as Reggie
• 2007: Life Support
• 2008: Greta

He's still really young but just watch him flourish... Your thoughts?

his myspace for stalking purposes

Gosh.

Last week at Moloko I was tempted to compare this guy to Superfly, but I changed my mind after going back to the post to refresh my memory. Still thoug, this guy and his boys are kind of stale. I saw them for the first time last year in the exact same handmade, velvet, badly sequined 'Oh My Gosh' jacket. Talking about how they're the next best thing in S.A and that they had some record deal in the States. Fools.

Album on the Horizon: The Roots- Rising Down

The Roots are about to release their 10th studio album (release date: 29 April '08) and I can't wait! Man, I love The Roots and since they're releasing their album via Def Jam again, let's hope that they get more promo support- unlike with the very slept on Game Theory release. I came across a really special recording on OkayPlayer- it's a 1994 freestyle that was later slated to be a bonus track on the "Rising Down" album, but it was excluded because they couldn't get full clearance for the track.

Listen/Download the freestyle featuring a very young Black Thought here.

Image & Freestyle via OkayPlayer

STILL DOING THE RIGHT THING...

I found this article and Spike Lee puts it down when he talks about Obama vs the Clinton clan... I still love Spike and I'm so gonna see his next film.


ARTICLE VIA NY MAG

Several people have surprised me by saying that one of the movie’s biggest legacies is the impact you had on diversifying New York film crews.
Do the Right Thing was my first union film. I looked at the rosters, and for the most part, it was white males. Especially the Teamsters. So we had some conversations.

This was your third film. What was different?
That’s when I became a director. She’s Gotta Have It and School Daze, I really didn’t know what I was doing. And the biggest indicator of that was the acting. Do the Right Thing was like the first film where I really felt comfortable working with actors.

Your cast was nearly very different.
Originally, I wanted Robert De Niro. He wouldn’t do it. And it turned out to be a blessing, no disrespect. For it to work, it had to be an ensemble piece, and a star of that magnitude would have changed everything. So Danny Aiello was great. Then we had Sam Jackson—before he was Samuel L. It was Martin Lawrence’s first film. The great Robin Harris. Ossie and Ruby, Frank Vincent, John Savage, Bill Nunn, my sister Joie Lee, John Turturro. Richard Edson, who I knew through Jim Jarmusch, two years ahead of me at NYU … It was a hella fine cast, hella fine.

AND ABOUT MORE SPECIFIC POLITICS...

What do you think of Obama?
I’m riding my man Obama. I think he’s a visionary. Actually, Barack told me the first date he took Michelle to was Do the Right Thing. I said, “Thank God I made it. Otherwise you would have taken her to Soul Man. Michelle would have been like, ‘What’s wrong with this brother?’ ”

Does this mean you’re down on the Clintons?
The Clintons, man, they would lie on a stack of Bibles. Snipers? That’s not misspeaking; that’s some pure bullshit. I voted for Clinton twice, but that’s over with. These old black politicians say, “Ooh, Massuh Clinton was good to us, massuh hired a lot of us, massuh was good!” Hoo! Charlie Rangel, David Dinkins—they have to understand this is a new day. People ain’t feelin’ that stuff. It’s like a tide, and the people who get in the way are just gonna get swept out into the ocean.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE

One of My Favourite XXL articles...the making of Reasonable Doubt

In '96 Jay dropped Reasonable Doubt and this article was in the XXL. It takes you step by step through the making of the album. Still gives me goosebumps.

At first, people didn’t believe.

Raised by a single mother in Brooklyn’s rough Marcy projects, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter hit the streets as a teenager and made money, a lot of money, selling drugs. But what he really wanted was a rap career. He hooked up with The Jaz (later Jaz-O), a local artist who had a deal with EMI Records, and cut guest appearances with the likes of Original Flavor and Big Daddy Kane. He made a demo tape and shopped around for a deal of his own, but labels weren’t biting.

Never short on confidence, Jay got with fellow hustlers Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, and, using capital saved from the streets, founded a label, Roc-A-Fella Records, and set to work on a debut album. Recorded at the storied D&D Studios in Manhattan, with production from DJ Premier, Clark Kent, Ski, Jaz, Peter Panic and Irv Gotti, Reasonable Doubt was released June 25, 1996 through a distribution deal with Priority Records. The album didn’t set the world on fire right away. It sold just 420,000 copies its first year out, peaking at No. 23 on Billboard’s album chart, and wasn’t certified platinum ’til 2002. Nevertheless, it announced the arrival of Jay-Hova, the God MC, and its moments—“Dead Presidents,” with the Nas sample that would play so prominently in the greatest rap battle of all time; “Brooklyn’s Finest,” where Jay trades verses with the Notorious B.I.G.; and the hit single “Ain’t No Nigga,” which turned a 16-year-old Foxy Brown into a household name—loom ever larger with the passage of time.

Jay’s made seven more albums since, and sold over 20 million copies of them. A lot has changed. He and Jaz-O had a falling out, with back-and-forth snipes over credit and loyalty. Roc-A-Fella grew to be an empire, of course, one that would eventually span music, fashion, movies and liquor. Last year, Jay split from Dame and Biggs and took over Def Jam Records—and kept the Roc-A-Fella name for himself. People believe now.

On this 10th anniversary, XXL pays homage, revisiting the creation of a classic with those who were there. —Justin Monroe

1. “Can’t Knock the Hustle” (feat. Mary J. Blige)

Produced by Knowbody
Coproduced by Sean Cane and Dahoud

Knowbody: I made the beat at my mama’s house. It was probably like ’94. You know, Dame lived in 1199, which is right across the street from where I lived at. I know there was air [in the mix] and everything. I want to go back to doing beats like that.

The whole time after we gave Dame the beat and after he picked it, from then on we called like every week like, “What’s up? Can you find out what’s up?” They’d be like, “He’s writing.” So I don’t know if he was actually writing. Dame just told me, “Quit calling me.”

Sean Cane: I remember thinking if they really wanted to keep the beat. I remember I kept calling Dame. He was like, “Nah, he’s writing to it.” I don’t know if it was just being that they were trying to stall, but they just kept saying, “He’s writing to it. Getting Mary.” We was excited. Before we got Mary, we put Veronica on it to reference the song. Veronica, the Spanish singer, she was on Hola Records. Mary came in the day of the mix to do her vocals. She just really came in to do her part.

When Jay went in to do the clean vocals, I was like, “I think you messed up on this one. I think you could do this part here [again].” I forgot whether it was on the “nigga” or the “player.” I was like, “I think that part you could say it a little better.” He was like, “Play it back.” He’s like, “You’re wildin’.” That was in Platinum Island. That’s where it was mixed at. But it was recorded at D&D, where they paid niggas with the shoe box of money. It was either fives or ones. It was ones. We had to count it. Jay and Dame, they came with the shoe box of money. Their whole shit, coming with the logo, they was hungry. They was grinding. We sat at the studio with the shoe box of money, and it was three people counting the money. It wasn’t a lot. It was less than 10 Gs, put it like that. That same day is the day they brought in the Roc-A-Fella logo. They came in with the Roc-A-Fella logo, and were showing it to Jay like, “Yo, what you think about this for the logo?”

2. “Politics As Usual”

Produced by Ski

Ski: I was riding in the car with my baby’s mama. I had it on the oldies-but-goodies station, and I hear “Hurry Up This Way Again” by the Stylistics. I said, “Yo, this shit is crazy. If I sample this here, and chop it up right and let Jay hear it, he got to hear that shit and love it.” That same day, she took me to the old record store, and I took it home that night and chopped it up and played it for Jay the next day. He was going crazy for it. A funny thing is, at the same time, Clark actually found the sample too and did it. But I think the one I did was just a tad bit hotter. No disrespect to Clark, the one I did was just a tad bit hotter. That’s one of my favorite records to this day. I think that was the blueprint to what Kanye and Just are doing now, the whole soulful voice thing.

Jay was quick with the verses. Back then, he might have wrote two verses down on paper, but he never really wrote it down. I would sometimes glance down and see three words on his paper, but the nigga doing a whole song. I’m like, What’s he rapping from?

When I got paid for these records on Reasonable Doubt I used to go to Dame’s crib, and I remember them giving me a book bag just full of money.

I used to just get on the train. If niggas knew I had thousands of dollars in a backpack…

Clark Kent: It’s crazy, ’cause the same day that Ski brought him that beat, I brought him the same beat like an hour later. Jay was like, “Dag, I think yours is a little better.” ’Cause mines was pretty sounding, because I made it big and very clear. But Jay was like, “You know how we do it, and real is real. He gave it to me first.” So he did his version instead of doing my version of the same thing.
Me being a music business guy, I was like, “Which one’s better?” He was like, “Clark, that’s not right to switch one. He came first. And Ski is our boy.” So that’s how it was. And not for nothing, it was no love lost, ’cause Ski is my nigga. So I was just like, “Go ahead, do it. You’re right.” That’s the way we are. I don’t even know if Ski knows it went down like this.

Lenny Santiago: I remember Ski was doing a group—I don’t know if this is supposed to be out there, but whatever—he was doing Camp Lo. That was his group. He was very heavily involved with them. And actually, one or two of the songs were Camp Lo’s. “Feelin’ It” and “Politics As Usual.” I’m almost positive those were Camp Lo’s. And Jay ended up hearing them, and was like, “Oh no, no, no. I need that.” No dis-respect to them, but he just felt it so much, and he recorded it, and it ended up being his record.

3. “Brooklyn’s Finest” (feat. Notorious B.I.G.)

Produced by Clark Kent

Irv Gotti: I did not want that record to happen. I was adamantly against it. I would call Jay every day like, “No, fuck that! Don’t do this record.” I said, “What I’m scared of is you doin’ [a record] with Biggie and you comin’ off like his little man. And nigga, we can’t be owning shit if you his little man. You never gon’ get that throne.” But this nigga would call me and be like, “Nah, but Gotti, I’m tellin’ you, I’m gonna show ’em. I’m gon’ make people see that I’m that nigga.”

Jay and Big had a lot of love, but at that particular time it was very competitive. Go ’head and listen to that record—“It’s time to separate the pros from the cons/The platinum from the bronze…” Real talk, Big’s goin’ at Jay in that record. “You ain’t harmin’ me/So pardon me…” Trust me. He’s goin’ at him real tough.

Lenny Santiago: I was doing promotion at the time, and we were at the video shoot for “Dead Presidents.” If you remember, Biggie was in the video. And it was during a break, Damon was being Damon, and everyone was around talking—Jay, Big, Lil’ Cease, D. Roc—and Damon approached Biggie, like, “What’s up with that record? You gonna do something with Jay?” And Big was like, “Whatever, nigga. I’m waitin’ on y’all. Whatchu sayin’?” Dame was like, “I’m sayin’, though, we could do it right now.” At the time, Jay was comin’ up and Big was the shit. He had the biggest record out, Puff was doing his thing, and Bad Boy was on fire. So Dame was trying to put him to the test. And they kept going back and forth, and Big was like, “Man, listen, whatever, anytime, anywhere.” So Dame called Clark Kent like, “I got Big right here, he wants to do that record with Jay, whatever, whatever.” So that same night, they ended up recording the record. And Clark did the track, and it was a classic. It was just funny how it happened from being put on the spot.

Biggs: Biggie came to the video for “Dead Presidents,” and he was saying how much he liked Jay, the whole style. Dame was talking about it, and said, “Do a record tomorrow.” Him and Dame was drinking. They drank like five bottles of Cristal, shot for shot. Dame threw up outside. Dame had told Biggie to call the next day at five o’clock. I remember being in the office, and at five o’clock the phone rings. We went to the studio, and we spoke to him. We had a date, and they went in and recorded. It was funny, ’cause they came in with a pad, and Jay pushed the pad to Biggie. They’re both looking at the pad like, Go ahead, you take it. No, you take it. That’s when they found out that both of them didn’t write.
That day we went in, I think Jay laid down his whole part. Biggie lay down like a line or two, then he said he couldn’t finish, he had to go home and finish it. We had Biggie come and smoke 60 blunts. But he came back and laid down a little bit more, left again, and then he came back and finished it. We had fun the first [session]. Afterward, we all went to see Bernie Mac at Radio City Music Hall.

Dame Dash: We didn’t do all of “Brooklyn’s Finest” in D&D. We had to come back to it, ’cause that didn’t have a hook. Me and Clark Kent had to make up a hook. We had to hand it in like the next day. Me and Clark and Biggs was in the studio, then Biggs left, and we finally got it, me and Clark Kent. Clark was trying to get me on the hook. We took a rhyme from the song, “Jay-Z and Biggie Smalls, nigga, shit your drawers…,” and he was trying to get me to say it. I was like, “I’m not gonna do it.” I got Clark to do it.

Clark Kent: I just freshly came off of tour with Big. We were doing Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s [debut album], and he heard the beat and went crazy. He was like, “I want the beat.” I was like, “Nah, it’s Jay’s beat.” He’s like, “You’re always giving this guy everything.” He wanted that beat real bad. I’m leaving the studio to go to D&D to track it for Jay, and Big’s like, “Yo, I want to be on that record.” So I was like, “Yo, just come with me.” So I went upstairs, and I left him downstairs. I was like, “Big wants to be on that record. Why don’t you put Big on that record? He heard the beat. He likes it.” Jay was like, “I don’t really know him like that.” And Dame was like, “I ain’t paying him, neither.” I was just like, Ah, okay. So then I’m like, “If I get him to do it for free would you do it?” He was like, “Yeah, we’ll try it.” So I run downstairs. I go get Big, bring him upstairs, and they met each other the right way, properly. And everybody was like, “Well, if you’re going to do it for whatever…” Jay changed the verses around right there, and was like, “This is where you go, right there. You ready?” Big was like, “I can’t do this right now!”

Two months later, Big came back with his verses. Days later, I was mixing it, and there was no hook. We were supposed to do the hook when we were mixing it. And Jay says, “All right, you got to scratch something.” I’m trying to find things to scratch and nothing’s working. So I’m telling Jay, “Yo, y’all gotta come up with a hook.” Jay and Big are there. We’re at Giant Studios. Big goes, “I’ll be back, I’m going to the store.” And then an hour goes by, and he doesn’t go back. Then Jay goes, “I’ll be back.” They leave me there and never come back. So it’s like three in the morning, I decided to write a hook, and I performed the hook. That’s my voice.

To me, that’s the best collabo I’ve ever heard. You would never think that Jay’s verses were done so far in advance. It feels like they did it together. Big and Jay were that talented, they could pick up on that line and go from that line.

I’d made the beat before for one of Damon’s groups. He had a group called the Future Sound, and I remixed the record with the same beat. And Damon said, “Yo, that beat is hot, give it to Jay.” So he says he produced it because he said give it to Jay. How ridiculous is that? But whatever, it’s all good. And then the other day he told me I jerked him because I didn’t give him publishing.

4. “Dead Presidents II”

Produced by Ski

Ski: When I first found the sample and I threw the Nas thing in there, I liked the record a lot. But it wasn’t my favorite record. I really loved it after Jay got on it. That’s what made me a fan of “Dead Presi-dents.” It was an old jazz sample, Lonnie Liston Smith [“A Garden of Peace”]. And Nas [“The World Is Yours (Remix)”]. When Nas was hot a the time, Nas’ voice was crazy. And when Jay threw in the lyrics, the first verse, the way he came on was bananas.

Clark Kent: I heard the second version when I was on the road with Big. I was playing “Dead Presidents” over and over again. The first and the second one. I was like, “Big, my boy rap better than you.” And he was sick, ’cause I kept telling him. Everybody was mad at me. On the bus, I was like the alien for even trying it. But after Big heard that, this is before they met to do “Brooklyn’s Finest,” he was like, “Clark, that dude got it. He got it. He got it.” That let me know that I wasn’t crazy.

5. “Feelin’ It” (feat. Mecca)

Produced by Ski

Ski: It was me and Geechi Suede from Camp Lo, it was my hook and everything. Jay heard it and was like, “I want that record. I don’t care what you do, I want that record.” I didn’t want to give it to him, but I had to because I knew he was going to be the man at the time. So I said, “Fuck it, take the record.” It really was me and Suede from Camp Lo, the flow and everything, the way he was flowing on it. That’s the way we was flowing on it. So he just took the whole thing. But you know, he killed it in his own way.

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My name is so special...

I've known the meaning of my name, Keitumetse, forever (obviously). But it's definately fun to know that my nickname means something so special and meaningful for some people around the world...

The Tumi is a sacrificial ceremonial knife distinctly characterised by a semi-circular blade, made of either bronze, copper, gold-alloy, or silver alloy used by some Inca and pre-Inca cultures in the Peruvian Coastal Region. In Andean mythology, the Moche, Chimu and Incas were descendants of the Sun, and had to be worshipped annually with an extravagant celebration. The festival took place at the end of the potato and maize harvest in order to thank the Sun for the abundant crops or to ask for better crops during the next season. During this important religious ceremony, the High Priest would sacrifice a completely black or white llama. Using a tumi, he would open the animal's chest and with his hands pull out its throbbing heart, lungs and viscera, so that observing those elements he could foretell the future. Later, the animal and its parts were completely incinerated.

Other Andean cultures have used the tumi for the neurological procedure of skull trepanation. Many of these operations were carefully performed, suggesting that the surgery was done for the relief of some body disturbance other than that associated with injury, perhaps an organic or mental condition.

On November 26 '06 archaeologists announced that they had unearthed 22 graves in northern Peru containing pre-Inca artifacts. Among the artifacts were the first tumi ever discovered by archaeologists. All previous examples had been recovered from grave looters.

In Peru, to hang a tumi on a wall means good luck. The tumi is the national symbol of Peru and has become a symbol used in the Peruvian tourism publicity.

....OR YOU COULD GO WITH THE FASHIONISTA'S MEANING....

Tumi is a manufacturer of luggage for travel. The company was founded in 1975 and is named for a Peruvian ceremonial knife used for sacrifices. The products are known for their black-on-black ballistic nylon. The company is based in South Plainfield, New Jersey. Tumi is known among consumers for its exclusivity, and quality stylish products. Today, Tumi's award-winning products range from luggage, business cases and handbags to wallets, writing instruments and watches. Tumi is available at department stores and specialty stores as well as over 50 Tumi stores around the world.

Tumi was, at one time, made entirely in the US and offered a lifetime warranty. Since 2004, however, Tumi has moved production of items to China.

Tumi Website

FIRST WINTER PICKUP...!!!

I hate being cold and I just saw these on SNKRFRKR and I have no idea where to get them- even Ebay express doesn't have them. I've searched and searched! Anywho, I'll find them and wear them with pride during this winter. This is a distress call...Anyone who knows where I can get it holla at your girl!!

IMAGE VIA SNEAKER FREAKER

Remy Ma is a dumb bitch and smh @ Papoose

So Remy Ma- the bitch that walks around with a two-tone weave as if it's a good look was found guilty of shooting her girl in the stomach. If I were a gangsta bitch, I would make sure that whatever transgression I made against the law, I can eat that charge up so quick that no one would even remember it for a second. That's really gangsta. Being gangsta aint howling loud enuff for me to hear you all the way from Joburg, South Africa. Yeah, she cried like a little bitch when they told her she faces 25 yrs. Dumb Bitch. lol@ Papoose tryina make an honest woman out of her skank ass before she goes to jail - you gotta love this Ghetto Love Story. Why don't hood moms teach their daughters how to be ladies? I mean, I'm somewhat rough around the edges but if I need your ass shot up, I'll make a call and it'll be done. I don't need to do the damn shit myself. Real bosses have minions. I got mines...

In other ghetto ridiculous (in this case, ghetto fabulous more called for) news... Trina aka the one who said Tha Baby, has her album "Still The Baddest dropping this week. No doubt there'll be a song in there somewhere dedicated to Weezy F. Baby, Please Say the Baby- I wonder if she ever got rid of that Wayne tat that she got back in '06. Shouts out to YBF for the pic.


And now for the Ghetto Ridiculous...Scuse my French but...

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH BEANIE SIGEL???? THIS DUDE CAN'T STAY OUT OF JAIL!

Hov is always going on about how Beans is his boy and blah, blah, blah and he's gonna free Sigel but how do you go about saving someone who clearly doesn't wanna be saved? He knows that he's got all that Jay money waiting for him so he's got the junkie brother/drunken uncle syndrome- he's got enuff money so he doesn't feel like he has to work too hard. He's gonna keep fuckin up til someone actually gets his mind right... Shouts out to the really ghetto mothafucka that keeps going back to jail...You can't blame this one on his environment, so now I'm just gonna put it down to a case of Natural Selection. All I have to say to Jay right now is that his boy is on a path of self destruction and instead of rapping about it, he should Free Sigel. They tried to make him go to rehab & he said no, no, NO! Drugs are bad, kids.

Read the story here.

I'm on my sneaker shit...Chuck Taylor All-Star Gold Zipper

I have no words. Only available in Hong Kong or on ebay. Certainly not at your local South African Converse stockist. Watch me get em. Watch you sip on that haterade and hate, hate, hate!!

I'ma keep a cool head and stay out the news headlines...

....that was T.I's M-O according to his track Bring Em Out on his Urban Legend album...guys can't stay outta jail man.
It's been reported that T.I will be pleading guilty to a weapons charge that dates back to his October October 2007 arrest and subsequent indictment. Ja ne... It's hard out here fo' a pimp.

Since today seems like Sneaker Day...

Coming from S.A, the best Converse you’ll get are plain black/white/red
or corduroy or some other lame shit- and quiet simply: I'M FED UP! Through my travels and online surfing, I’ve seen some really interesting colours, shades and fabrics used on Chucks that go beyond the usual wack ass garbage that South African consumers are fed. I'd venture to say that the S.A market gives a sizeable chunk of revenue towards Converse, yet we still get all the usual and hella boring Chucks dumped into the market. Either Converse S.A needs to step up their game or employ some young people who are more in touch. (does Converse even really have an S.A office??? Those people don’t even have a real website.)

On another note, I’ve been seeing some nice Converse kicks released to mark the 100^th anniversary of Converse. Basically what they’ve done is commission 100 of the world’s creative designers, artists and musicians to design their unique Converse. 50 have apparently already been designed, expressing each individual artist’s commentary on HIV/AIDS. New releases can be seen on the Converse website. And no, it's not a local site. Pics below.

PUMA CLYDE - POISON PACK

I saw these a few weeks ago and wasn't sure if I was feelin em. So I went back tot he site and checked em out and I've decided that I like em. My fav's = the strawberry frogs

THE STORY SO FAR:

Puma dreamt up three patterns and colourways based on unique and distinctive textures taken from different species of the Poison Dart frog from Central America. In reality, the bright colours repel predators, and indicates their toxicity. But of course, just as humans do with their feelings/emotions; some reptiles imitate poisonous colours to outsmart predators.


First pair is Dendrobates pumilio (or Strawberry frog)
Second pair (the green) is Dendrobates leucomelas (or Yellow-Banded frog)
Third is Dendrobates azureus (or Okipipi frog)

A Sneak Peek...

Just a few of my babies...it's really hard to find hot kicks as a chick- esp in S.A. so I'm proud of my little collection. I have many more pairs of shoes and kicks but these are some of my fav's- plus I recently went on a binge; thanks to my brother's wedding. I have recently retired my tweed dunks (not pictured)-I think I need to hunt down another because they became such a staple of my look and now I'm ashamed of what they look like right now.

The Cool Kids- Gold and A Pager

Straight out of Chicago, these boys hit the e-streets with their track "Black Mags". Think Lupe and skateboarding, except these retro rap boys ride BMX bikes. Mikey and Chuck bring 80's type bass-heavy beats reminiscent of Eric B and the like. Listen to/download the track here and let me know what you think of these boys. Shouts out to my brother Ruli for putting me onto this.

Hottie of the Month: March

TERRENCE HOWARD

Although he acted in Dead Presidents and in Sunset Park ('95 & '95), I didn't much attention to Terrence Howard until he played the shit-causing friend Quentin in The Best Man. I fell in love, but I thought I would get over my crush...not so: it's almost 10 yrs later and I'm still in love with Terrence. I consider his role as Djay in Hustle & Flow to be his groundbreaking role: He made the most ignorant people turn around and take notice of the fine chocolate man with interesting eyes. I cringe when people mistake Cuba Gooding for him- they're so different and it's not fair. Not only is he sexy as hell but my oh my...what an amazing actor, and his awards and nominations are testimony to that talent.

imdb profile

D'banj on MTV Base Player

For the show that I work on, I had to create short aspirational pieces on influential young Africans. 2008 EMA winner D'banj was one of the people I chose to profile. Let me know your thoughts :)

Video: Olu Mantain- Yahooze

Big Naija flossin in this video lol It's a few months old but I dig this song.

I Need to put Superfly on Blast for this one!

I don't know dude and if I did, I think I would deny him straight the fuck up! I found him on my way out of Zambezi (or Club 676- whatever that place is called)and he was only happy to oblige. Someone told him it's a good look. What say you?